Underdark- Unending Abyss Region
Outside the fortress controlled by House Dhalmass 

I had taken part in some fights since I had started playing Fate Online, this was the largest by far. Bolts from the field ballista landed among the roaming Undead and exploded scathing down dozens of them as the Earth and Fire Elementals lined up to the right of us as the forces of the Blood-Fang and Earth-Cracker Tribe readied for their mad dash towards the fortress walls. 

I could see in the distance, figures already scrambling to scale the wall as the Undead fell in droves but the plan was working. The Undead started to swarm towards the city guard and the shield wall they had formed. Without any formal command, it was doubtful the Undead could breach the line, even with their numbers. 

Still, Oren Stonebreaker, the Captain that was leading this detachment of the City Guard, was taking no chances and was holding his magical support back. I looked around at my party and squad of five soldiers assigned to help us and concentrated as I formed my Warband causing a prompt to appear. 

<<<>>>

Warlord, you have assembled a Warband. Is the current Warband accepted? Yes or No

Note* Once you create a Warband if you disband it you cannot create another one for 24 Hours.

<<<>>>

On my HUD, icons appeared representing everyone as I added them to the Warband. I accepted the Warband causing the icons to minimize but I quickly figured out I could bring them up if I concentrated on one member of the Warband or another. Each icon indicated their overall health and status and could see why the Warlord Ability could be useful in a big fight. I dismissed the information as I started checking Moonlight and my potions one more time as explosions continued to ring across the cavern. I looked at the man in charge of the siege weapons and looked at the wall, then back at him. He nodded in understanding, but none of the fire shifted towards the fortifications, not yet anyway. 

I shrugged my shoulders, he knew his job and business better than I did. I looked at the Kobolds and Orcs and watched as they started moving forward. It was like watching a rock hit water, the Undead that were in the way were destroyed or pushed out of the way. I could see the fortress inhabitants' activity increase as our forces moved towards the breach as the Undead finally slammed into the shield wall. 

While it was crude, and far from uniform, it still held the Undead at bay as archers and mages opened up and dozens of the mindless Undead were destroyed. I looked at Oren and the Duergar eyed me and waved me off as I trotted after the Blood-Fang and Earth-Cracker Tribe. Taking the fortress was all well and good, but if the Drow got away with the artifact I knew it would come back to bite me in the ass later so I had to trust the others to do their jobs as I did mine. "BUFF UP!" I called out and suited actions to words. 

I quickly triggered Shadow Aura, Shadow Forge, and Shadow Armor causing my Spirit gauge to bottom out, but more than one thankful look was thrown my way from both the city guard and our allies. I considered triggering my Vampiric Transformation, but I had asked what exactly it did to me and Drax had explained it made me more gaunt-looking and turned my eyes pitch black with bright blood-red irises, and apparently, it caused a sense of violence, death, and destruction for those near me. 

So in other words, every time I encountered a feral Vampire, that was what they felt when I triggered the Racial Ability. A bloodlust and death, it was also a trump card for me, one I was not prepared to use yet. Other buffs were cast by the group, increasing damage and resistances as we pushed deeper past the Undead that was swarming towards the City Guard. Part of me wanted to wheel around and hit their exposed flank, but we needed to secure the breach. 

I looked back at the wall and watched as two missiles from the field ballista slammed into the outer wall and explode. Due to the flare of the heat bloom, I couldn't see all the damage but from the way bodies were flung and new screams, the damage had been done to the garrison. Yet the numbers paled in comparison to how many of the mindless Undead lay broken on the cavern floor. I looked back at the shield wall to see how the cities forces were doing and smiled.

Flares of magic up and down the line slammed into the Undead downing far more than they normally would since they were bunched up. Thank you frags, then magic and arrows started landing around us and I had to concentrate on what was going on around us. While I lacked a shield, both magical or mundane, those around me did not. Magical and physical shields were thrown up absorbing the incoming damage and buying us precious time. More importantly, the Elementals blasted through the last of the Undead and slammed into the defenders' hasty line. 

While the Elementals were pretty much immune to any damage the mindless Undead could dish out, the defenders were a different story. They started going down, but the Earth and Fire Elementals had provided the necessary force for our attack and we crushed their defensive line and quickly gained control of the breach in the wall. I could see the defenders massing to attack and decided to help blunt it, I thrust my hand foreword and with a word and slight surge of magic causing my half-filled Spirit gauge to take another dip, as I cast my bog spell. 

Shouts and screams of surprise sounded throughout the small army as my spell blunted their momentum and started eating away at their health. The seventy-five percent decreased movement and attack speed, basically crippled any of them trapped within the area of effect while simultaneously damaging them. Coupled with the fact the Drow Houses like to use disposable low-level troops unless they had a Priest or Cleric of the Light within their ranks, I was probably going to kill or cripple twenty to thirty of their troops with the one attack. 

Drex looked back at me, questioning. "This is your command and kin, I will not spend their lives easily. I know what I would do though." I told the Orc. The Orc considered my words before pulling the large axe from the thong on his back and raised it before letting out a wordless roar that was mirrored by the other Orcs and few Goblins nearby within their ranks before charging towards the entangled defenders. 

I looked at the Kobold leadership, "Can you hold the line?" I asked them and more than one chuckle sounded from their ranks as new Elementals were summoned as the original group was dismissed. I shrugged my shoulders and looked at my Warband. "We got our assignment, I am willing to bet that crystal is on or near the ziggurat. We skirt the main battle and find it, destroy it, and anything or anyone that gets in our way. Understand?" I asked them and received nods all around in agreement. 

"Ok Drax and Rosewood, you're the two leaders when the shit hits the fan. Shadowsteel is the off-tank, I am the main tank. Questions?" I asked and no one said anything so I started foreword as June and Chalxae disappeared into Stealth with the guards Rogue as well. 

While most of the defenders were fighting the Blood-Fang Warband, not all of them were there. Three parties opposed us, each lead by a single Drow, but it was apparent the combat slaves did not want to fight and the Drow while individually skilled, could not overcome a well-coordinated unit. While we were not used to working with the city guards, they were well-coordinated and worked well with each other and with us in some measure. 

We worked our way around what buildings were within the fortress and approached the ziggurat from the side, I could see the Blood-Fang Warband finishing the defenders but then my attention was grabbed by a couple of figures striding our way. One was a Drow, the other two were Undead of some sort. I quickly used Analyze on all three and cursed. 

I felt a mental attack and it caused me to nearly stumble but I threw it off and glared at the Drow. While I couldn't get much information about her, with the Minions it was easy to figure out what she was. "Thorgron, grab the Death Knight, the Necromancer bitch is mine." I snarled as I triggered my transformation and Elder's Rage abilities as I threw myself forward.

The Drows eyes bulged in surprise, the Death Knight tried to intercept me, but the Duergar's taunt quickly grabbed its attention as I raced towards the Drow and triggered my charge skill causing us to rapidly close together. I threw up my hand and launched a Shadow Bolt at the Lich, making sure it was concentrating on me as I plowed into its Drow master.

She quickly recovered from her surprise and backpedaled but I gave her no mercy or leeway. However, she wielded a scimitar as easily as I wielded Moonlight, but with more skill. The only saving grace I had was my transformation pushed my body to its limits and then some. "My sisters will be intrigued by the fact there is a sentient Vampire, I think I will collar you and use you as a slave for the next century before letting someone else play with you." the Drow baited me.

I snarled but ignored her running commentary as I continued my assault then grunted in pain and staggered away as the Minor Lich launched a series of magical bolts at me. FUCK! I forgot the other magic user I was so concerned with the Drow, a big mistake. I thrust my hand foreword and cast my Bog of Plagued Shadows spell, catching both the Undead and Drow within its confines. 

While both the Undead and Drow Necromancer would be resistant to the spell's damage, I wanted to pin the bitch down so I could deal with the weaker Undead. A well-timed heal from Drax saved my ass and caused my health to jump from about half to nearly full as I closed with the Undead. Before I could move towards the Lich, Chalxae appeared behind it and sunk her daggers into it as a quartet of Fireballs from Sessa slammed into it. Between their attack, the Undead didn't have a chance and I looked at the Drow who was trying to cast a spell. 

Before she could finish, a trio of arrows sprouted from her chest, interrupting whatever she had been casting and taking a third of her health. I closed with her as she shook off the effects of the spell backlash as best as she could, but my Shadow Bolt to her gut surprised her and caused her to stumble again as her health dropped by another chunk. I snarled incoherently and swung Moonlight and triggered Tactical Strike and Shadow Strike as the arming sword slammed into the Drows exposed ribs. 

The overpowered attack completely deformed the Drow's rib cage and caused her health to drop to the critical range before jumping slightly as some last-second skill triggered trying to save her. My follow-up attack to her neck ended any chance she had at surviving and I looked back to see how the Duergar was doing. I smiled as the soldier's axe sundered the Death Knight armor as a lightning bolt slammed into causing the Death Knight to convulse and die. 

I looked at the ziggurat, at the top was a quartet of Liches and another robed figure all-around a glowing crystal. Ahead of us was a tunnel that led within the structure and I strode ahead. I could see what remained of the defenders were making a last stand at the base of the stairs as Drex led his tribe in battle. I could see the Kobolds and the forces from Eternal Night flowing into the fortress to reinforce the Orcs before I entered the ziggurat.

It smelled of blood and death, bodies of what I assumed were former slaves or those that had disappointed House Dhalmass were strewn all over the place and told what exactly had gone into powering the artifact to raise all the dead. I shook my head in disgust, I wasn't all cheery and good, but there had to be limits. This was way past mine and if I found the Vampire people doing this I would end them myself. 

My short trip stopped, and based on the layout I was directly under the center of the ziggurat. I ignored the bodies and studied the crystal floating in front of me and quickly used Analyze.

I dismissed the information and looked at the others, "Any idea how to destroy this thing?" I asked them and they shook their head or shrugged their shoulders. I looked at Moonlight and focused my thoughts and idea at the blade causing it to laugh.

"You got a death wish boss?" it asked me and I smiled causing the others to look at each other and shift slightly away from me.

"If you guys got any shield spells, throw them on me and run," I told the others and Thorgron grabbed my shoulder.

"What in the Abyss are you doing lad?" the Duergar asked me and I chuckled.

"What I was sent to do. Get them out of here and keep our people alive sergeant, that is an order." I told him and he gave me a slight nod as two spells were thrown over me. Neither would last very long, but they didn't need to. I counted to ten and raised Moonlight and lined it up on the crystal before placing my sword against it.

"LET'S DO THIS! WHAT? YOU THINK I AM AFRAID OF SOME LICH"S SHRIVALED UP SOUL!!! BRING IT, I EAT BITCHES LIKE YOU FOR BREAKFAST AND SHIT EXCELLENCE ALL DAY LONG!" Moonlight shouted in my head and I threw my weight behind the sword as I laughed, the last thing I heard was a loud screech of agony and the hovering crystal breaking as a black and green light washed over me as my world exploded in pain.